Back in September, when we saw the parade of bra tops sent down the runway at New York Fashion Week for S/S 17—at Tory Burch, Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Victoria Beckham and beyond—we were intrigued. Pretty soon after, the look took over the street style scene, with some of our favourite It girls wearing the key designer crop tops in real life. But then the inevitable trickle down to fast-fashion retailers begun, and suddenly rib-revealing bandeaus and ruffle-trim bralettes seem like they may have a mainstream moment after all.
The culprit? Zara, whose Jedi-level styling often makes us reconsider looks we never thought we'd wear IRL. The retailer has rolled out more than a dozen takes on the bra top in recent weeks, even going so far as to create a #bralettes landing page to reinforce its commitment to the trend. There are faux-leather styles with lace and studs, versions in red jacquard and silver Lurex and black-and-white options in a variety of fabrics and silhouettes.
Most importantly, however, is how they're styled: under button-downs, over T-shirts, with high-waisted trousers—generally, in ways that even non-models can totally pull off. Read on for 15 Zara-approved styling tricks for wearing bra tops out of the house this season.
Choose the right pants and you can control how much midriff you want to bare. This particular cut makes legs look extra-long.
This look is all about proportion, from the thigh-grazing mini to the XXL sleeves.
Toughen up the sweetness of a ruffled bra top with some boyfriend jeans and an oversize shirt.
Cinch a roomy sweatshirt with a simple bralette.
Okay, maybe don't try this one out for a board meeting, but for a different kind of dinner-date look? Definitely.
You can't go wrong layering a bralette over a plain white tee, but the frilled skirt adds extra points.
A blazer with a sturdy closure—like this D-ring belt—is the ideal excuse to try a barely-there top underneath.
Sheer lace looks especially good over stripes or any other print for that matter.
Add a wide corset-style belt to up the rise on some high-waisted trousers, and top it off with an easy bandeau.
Add an unexpected bit of colour to an otherwise monochrome nighttime look.
Definitely safe to try this one at work.
Consider this a Cali-girl take on the pantsuit.
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Next up, see how these girls manage to find the best ASOS pieces first.Opening Image: Zara